1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs), and more particularly to unmanned airborne vehicles designed for use in calm and rough seas while conducting anti-submarine detection exercises.
2. Description of the Related Art
Amphibious aircraft, both manned and unmanned, have been well known in the prior art. Typically, such aircraft have sponson structure allowing the craft to take off and land in water, as well as engine apparatus carried on the wing at a position substantially above the surface of the water so that neither the water or the spray interferes with the generation of propulsion by the engine apparatus.
It is also well-known to use sonar devices for the purpose of locating and identifying structures beneath the surface of water, and especially for the purpose of locating and identifying enemy or even hidden underwater vehicles or objects.
However, as yet, no one has combined the two concepts in a single, unmanned, propulsive device, such as an aircraft.
Against this background of known technology, the applicants have developed a novel system including an unmanned amphibious craft housing propulsive engines and armament, and being designed for deploying a plurality of sonobuoys, thereby creating a detecting field. The craft then sits on the water to monitor the readings generated by the field of sonobuoys, and if an enemy craft is detected, the anti-submarine armament is released and directed toward the enemy craft.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel around-the-clock anti-submarine warfare (ASW) apparatus for providing coverage for a naval battle group using an unmanned airborne vehicle, while overcoming many of the disadvantages and drawbacks of similar submersible systems known in the art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel ASW apparatus including a mobile craft capable of flight and an enemy locating and identifying capability deployable at predetermined positions so that naval battle groups can be protected.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an ASW system which includes an unmanned seaplane constituting a floating command station capable of deploying a network of submergible listening devices and then monitoring the network of listening devices in order to determine the possible presence of enemy craft, and in the event that such craft are detected, launching weapons capable of destroying such enemy craft.